Stu
by Mugsy Lennon
Summary: Okay, I don't know where to start with this. I don't want to give anything away, plus there are so many pieces to this story that I don't really know what to call the main plot. There's what looks like the main plot and then there's the inner plot. It's weird. It year-jumps a lot because I was lazy when writing this a few years ago. Maybe I'll rewrite it one day. Sorry, but enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

"It's OVER!" A frying pan rose up over his head. The boat continued to rock back and forth.  
"Please, n-"  
"YOU'RE A LOSER, STU!" The frying pan remained over his head. Waves crashed against the portholes.  
"NO! Please, no, no n-"  
"A LOSER!" I screamed and kicked, but he dodged out of the way.  
"A NOBODY!"  
"I'M NOT! N-"  
"IT'S OVER, STU! YOU'RE OVER!"  
CRASH  
BANG  
"OVER, YOU DIRTY LOSER!"  
"Plea- no-"  
THUMP.

* * *

3 Years Earlier

"Not too young for a Journey Bag!"  
Those were his words that fateful day.  
"Are you sure, Mayor? I mean, he's only 13…" Mother said reluctantly, wiping her hands on her work jeans.  
"Surely, Shannon, you remember how young you were when you came to work the farm?"  
"Why, I was 12, but even so-"  
"Just give it some thought." Mayor said, walking back down the porch steps and into the crisp autumn air. The apple trees seemed to wave at him as he waddled away.  
I had been watching the whole spectacle from the kitchen floor, guzzling apple juice and chocolate cookies. Licking crumbs off of my face, I slipped out of the white-tiled alcove, my shoes making little "click click" sounds on the shiny granite floor. Rats, I thought. They'll hear me for sure with this loud flooring…  
"Stu, stop eavesdropping," Father shouted from the table. "And clean up those crumbs."  
"How did you know I was back there?" I groaned, sweeping up the crumbs with my hands.  
"Where else would you be?" he replied.  
"Besides, you sounded like Serendipity eating oats back there!" Mother added with a chuckle, putting on her backpack. I could tell she was still shaken up by Mayor's visit. I gasped, nearly dropping my cookie.  
"Serendipity! I almost forgot!" I shoved the last bite of cookie into my mouth, put on my jacket, and bolted out onto the porch. The air was full of the scent of apples; the wind filled my purple locks. I could see my trusty steed mowing the pasture even from up on the hill. I whistled as I ran down the yard, calling,  
"Here, boy! Here I come!" My beat-up brown sneakers skidded along the dewy grass, and I began to roll down the hill. Serendipity looked up, and galloped over towards me. He hovered over me and watched with curiosity as I rose, stray blades of grass welcoming me like confetti. I felt it accented my purple hair quite nicely. Not worried about the obvious scrapes on my knees or the stains on my jeans, I walked with a clear spring in my step, entering the welcoming blue and beige wood barn. Serendipity trotted purposefully after me.  
"Stay," I said, putting out my hand. "I'll be right back." When I came back with the brush and saddle, Serendipity and I began our normal routine.  
As we rode down the lane, our black cat Luna watched from her perch on a rock by the creek. Once we entered Harmonica Town, my unusual appearance caused the usual head-turns, even by those who had known me since birth. Especially the head of my older sister, Cheyenne.  
"Stu! Hi!" She shouted in her usual sing-song voice. Cheyenne turned to face me as I hopped off Serendipity and landed in the sand of the beach below. I noticed her hand was wrapped in the hand of her boyfriend, Roy.  
"Hi Cheyenne…" I mumbled, being strangled by one of the Cheyenne-hugs I only get when Roy is around. "Hi, Roy."  
"Good morning, Stu." Roy said. I liked Roy. He was a genuinely nice person to me. Once I was released from the grasp of my older sister, I hopped on Serendipity and we rode away again.  
"Bye, Stu! Bye! See you later! Bye! Tell Mom and Dad I said hi! Bye! Tell Mom to make a pie! Bye! Bye, Stu!" She continued until I was out of sight, or, at least until SHE was out of my earshot. When I turned around, I could see her and Roy laughing, running through the waves, hand in hand. Why does she get a boyfriend when all I get is a horse and some nasty comments? I thought. Our hair is the same color. I guess it's only okay to be different when you're a girl…

"Hey, Stu!" a voice said.  
"Who said that?"  
"Me, over here! It's me, Dakota!" Dakota was my best (and only) friend. And sure enough, there she was, crouched behind a planter in front of Ocarina Inn.  
"Dakota, what are you doing this time?" I asked.  
"Looking for my dad's mac and cheese," she whispered. "I can smell it!" Her dad, Chase, was an amazing chef, and Dakota is said to never forget a smell.  
"Forget food! C'mon!" I grabbed Dakota by the arm and ran towards where Serendipity stood. Dakota stared down at her feet as I hopped up. "What's wrong?" I asked. "Don't you wanna come for a ride?"  
"I- I don't know," she replied. "I've never really ridden a horse before."  
"Well, let today," I whispered. "BE A FIRST!" Dakota was soon gripping me for dear life, screaming and laughing all at the same time.  
"Stu! Please, please, don't go any faster!" she whimpered.  
"Trust me, party pooper, you'll be fine! Giddy-up, Serendipity!" I chuckled. Serendipity galloped over the hillsides and soon enough, Dakota had stopped screaming, had loosened her grip on me, and was grinning.

We soon ran into another problem.  
"C'mon, Dakota, you have to get down eventually."  
"No! It's too high! I'll break my neck!"  
"You'll be fine!"  
"No!"  
THUMP  
Dakota looked up at me and whimpered.  
"Y- you pulled me off the horse! Y- y- you almost k- killed me!  
"I did not almost kill you, Dakota! And look, you're fine!"  
Dakota began crying, and I knew I had made a mistake.  
"YOU PULLED ME- OFF A HOOOOOORSE!" she laugh-wailed. Soon, she was full-fledged busting with laughter.  
"You idiot!" she shouted, getting up.  
THUMP  
Now I was the one on the ground. And now I was laughing, too.  
"That," she said. "Was the BEST TIME OF MY LIFE! You're the best!" She ruffled my purple mop and skipped off towards her house. Darn, I thought. I forgot to ask her to eat lunch with me.  
And so I spent yet another lunchtime on the barn floor, alone.

"Mom! Guess what Roy said to me today?" Cheyenne said later on that day, bouncing around the house.  
"What did he say, Cheyenne?" Mom sighed.  
"He said- he said he wants to take me to Toucan Island tonight!"  
"Cheyenne, you're NOT going to a tropical island alone with a boy." Mom replied.  
"C'mon, Mom, we're not going to stay there overnight! Just to hang out for a while!"  
I didn't really understand why she was so excited about being invited to Toucan Island. Our family had gone there several times before; it wasn't that special to be able to go.  
"Cheyenne, the answer is NO."  
"But Mom, I'm almost 15! I can take care of myself." Cheyenne wailed. Suddenly, Father threw down his fashion magazine.  
"CHEYENNE, YOU LISTEN TO ME RIGHT NOW. YOU ARE NOT GOING, AND THAT'S FINAL!" he roared. It was odd. I'd never seen him do that before.  
"Julius, calm down. I'll see to it that she stays." Mom said, putting her hand on Father's shoulder. Father brushed his hair out of his face and tried to collect himself.  
"Cheyenne," Mom said. "Maybe next time we go you can bring him. But you're not going by yourselves." Cheyenne nodded.  
And we ate dinner in silence.  
(There was no pie.)


	2. Chapter 2

3 Years Later

"Stu… could you come in here, please?" Mom's voice said from down the stairs. When I came down the stairs, Father had his head in his hands. He appeared to be crying softly.  
"Is everything alright?" I asked.  
"Your father and I have noticed how much you've matured, and we've decided- we've decided to give you this." And with that, Mom pulled out an orange backpack, much like the one she herself used.  
"I- is this- is this a-"  
"Yes, Stu," Father whispered hoarsely, his face streaked with tears. "It's your Journey Bag."

The foghorn sounded, and my parents and I shared our final goodbyes. Cheyenne had long since gone to live on Toucan Island with Roy, but the two of them stood on the pier with Mom, Father, and I, Cheyenne holding her new baby, Olivia Claire.  
"Good luck, Stu," Cheyenne said, holding Olivia close to her chest, Roy's arm wrapped around her.  
I waved goodbye as I walked onto the ship. Mayor Hamilton, the silly old man, had decided to come with me, saying I was "a bit challenged" and "may need some assistance." That struck me as an insult, but I said nothing.  
Far out to sea, a storm blew up, and our ship began to rock violently back and forth. I sat in our tiny cabin with Mayor.  
Suddenly, I began to feel things weren't quite right.  
After some small talk, Hamilton began to stare at me evilly for quite some time. Before I knew it, I was backed up against the cabin wall, the door locked, and the storm still roared ferociously outside.  
"It's OVER!" A frying pan rose up over Mayor's head. The boat continued to rock back and forth.  
"Please, n-"  
"YOU'RE A LOSER, STU!" The frying pan remained over his head. Waves crashed against the portholes.  
"NO! Please, no, no n-"  
"A LOSER!" I screamed and kicked, but he dodged out of the way.  
"A NOBODY!"  
"I'M NOT! N-"  
"IT'S OVER, STU! YOU'RE OVER!"  
CRASH  
BANG  
"OVER, YOU DIRTY LOSER!"  
"Plea- no-"  
THUMP.

"Quick, Mother, he's waking up," a girl's voice said. "Bring the tea, and hurry!"  
As I slowly drifted into consciousness, I began to see the blurry figure of a girl, and a woman rushing over to her side with a steaming cup. I tried to sit up, but the girl immediately set me back down.  
"Do not try to get up," the girl said. "Oh, and my name's Anissa. This is my mother, Ruth. Welcome to Soufflé Farm!"  
"Now, Anissa, slow down. He's probably not going to remember all of this kind of information the second he regains consciousness!" the woman said.  
"Anyway," she continued, turning to face me. "As you now know, I'm Ruth. Just relax for now. That was quite a storm you went through on that ship!"  
"S-storm? Ship? W- who am I?" I couldn't remember a thing.  
"Oh, my, our guest seems to have amnesia!" Ruth chuckled. "Well, dear, we've been told your name is Stu, and you were on your way to start a new life here when a storm struck your ship and you were knocked unconscious. Other than that, we know nothing about your previous life. Sorry, dear."  
"New life? New life doing what?" I asked. "And how old am I?"  
"You're 16, Stu, and you came here to start a farm." Ruth whispered slowly.  
"A farm?!" I shouted, sitting straight up in bed.  
"Stu, Stu, calm down!" Anissa said, settling me back down again. "Everything's going to be okay. Tomorrow, you will start working for my father, Craig."  
This was too much for me to process.

"C'mon, weakling, all you have to do is water the strawberries!" Craig shouted at me.  
"Ugh, kids these days…" he mumbled.

"Once you pick those, you'll need to go deliver them! You're lucky I gave you a map!"

"Weakling!"  
Those were the only words I heard out of Craig the next few days.

"Here we are, Stu! Welcome to your new farm!" the Mayor said. Before us stood a tiny wooden farmhouse and a crop field, no barns, no nothing.  
"Now, you'll have to get Carpenter Dale to build a barn and coop for you, and then you can buy animals from Brownie Ranch. Soufflé Farm, where you've been sleeping the past week, is where you can buy crop seeds. Okay?"  
I nodded, though I still didn't understand why I was here.  
"Why don't you go take a look around the island?" Mayor suggested.

* * *

After meeting everyone on the island, I began to feel more alone than ever. Sure, everyone was nice and all, but I didn't even remember who my own family was. I sat on my bed and cried, unsure if it was because I was so alone or the pain of all the back-breaking work I had completed for Craig. The next few days consisted mainly of turnips and salty tears.


	3. Chapter 3

1 Year Later

I woke up to another bright spring day; I could hear the chickens clucking out in the pasture. When I opened the door, I immediately sprung backwards.  
"Whoops! Sorry, Stu! I didn't mean to startle you."  
"Oh, hello, Renee. What brings you here so early?" I asked. I had become quite fond of Renee, and we were close friends.  
"Well, I woke up early this morning before realizing it was Monday and I was off from farm work today, so I decided to stop by before heading to Caramel Falls." Renee replied.  
"Oh! Well, hi, then."  
"…I suppose you should get back to your farm work. But, before I go, I wanted to bring over some breakfast for you, so, here you go!" and with that, Renee handed me an omelette on a plate.  
"Oh, um, thanks. That's very thoughtful of you," I said, taking the plate. "I'll eat it later. Right now I have to go take care of the farm."  
"Oh, right! Sorry," Renee said, starting to walk away. "Oh, and one more thing! Would- would you like to go out to lunch with me today?"  
"Sure, I'd be glad to. Where?"  
"Just meet me under Alan's Tree, on my farm."  
"Alright! See you then!"  
Renee skipped down the lane, heading towards Caramel Falls.  
Yes!

At 12 o' clock, Renee dashed out of the farmhouse and skipped over to where I sat under Alan's Tree at Brownie Ranch.  
"Yay! Thanks for waiting," she said. "You finished your farm work, right? How's your sheep? And the chickens?"  
"Yup, all finished. Everything is going just fine at Seaside Ranch." I replied.  
Renee and I sat there talking for a long time under the sacred tree, eating ham and cheese sandwiches and apples and fresh milk. As I walked back to my house, I came to the wonderful realization that I had just went on my first date, if you wanted to call it that. Although I still didn't remember anything about my old life, things seemed to be going well for me.

* * *

Summer 23rd, that same year

"Say, Stu, do you maybe want to go to the Firefly Festival with me?" Renee asked, switching from her left foot to her right nervously.  
"What's the Firefly Festival?"  
"You mean you didn't have it back on Castanet?"  
"I- I don't know."  
"Oh right… your amnesia… sorry I forgot," Renee said, looking sad. "Anyway, the Firefly Festival is basically to say goodbye to the summer, and watch the fireflies fly away until next year."  
"Oh, that's nice. Sure, I'll go with you."  
"Great! But, uh- uh- it's kind of considered a romantic festival, and it'll just be the two of us at Caramel Falls… is- is that still okay?"  
"Of course! It'll be fun, watching the fireflies light up the air."  
"Hooray! I'll see you there tomorrow at 7 PM!" Renee bounded back off to tend to the cows.  
I was ecstatic. A romantic festival, just the two of us at Caramel Falls? I thought. Things are really starting to pick up for me!

The next night, at exactly 7 PM, Renee and I sat by Caramel River, and watched the fireflies glisten against the waterfall.  
"Aren't they amazing, Stu?" Renee breathed.  
"They sure are…" I whispered back. "There are tons of them!"  
"I know. Here on Waffle Island, we have one of the largest summer firefly populations in the world."  
"Wow," I said, turning to look at Renee. She gazed up at me. I'd never realized how beautiful her eyes were.  
"Stu," Renee said. "I really like you a lot." She rested her head on my shoulder, and smiled that warm smile of hers.  
"I really like you, too, Renee." I replied, putting my arm around her. When I looked down at her, I noticed her eyes were glistening with tears.  
"Are you okay, Renee?" I asked. "You look like you're crying."  
"It's- it's just that the fireflies are so beautiful, and you and I are here, and I am just so happy to have you near me, and-"  
"I love you, Renee."  
She gazed up at me and the tears began falling down her face.  
"I love you, Stu!"  
She hugged me, sobbing hot tears of joy. Once she had started to calm down, I pulled her close. I closed my eyes and felt the warmth of her lips against mine, and although I could taste her salty tears, it was a beautiful moment. When Renee pulled away, I opened my eyes and looked towards the waterfall.  
"Renee, look! They're flying away!"  
"There they go!" Renee said, her head resting on my shoulder.  
When the last firefly had flown away, I turned to Renee and smiled.  
"Want me to walk you home?"  
Renee nodded.  
"That'd be great."


	4. Chapter 4

Later that Fall

SQUAWK  
"WHOA!" I screamed as a large blue bird flew over my head.  
"Ah, the blue bird!" Mayor Hamilton said. "When it flies over your head, it symbolizes that there is someone you love."  
"Really?"  
"Yes, Stu. Do you have anyone in mind that you love?"  
I nodded.  
"Did you know that when a feather from this bird is given as a present, it acts as a marriage proposal?"  
"Really? A feather?"  
"Yes! And the only way to obtain a feather is to follow the blue bird. Once it believes you are sincere about loving someone, it will let you have one of its feathers." Mayor winked as he walked away.  
I REALLY wanted to get that feather. But I didn't know where the bird had gone.  
"Hey, Mayor! Does the bird come back if you don't get its feather the first time you see it?"  
"As long as you keep loving that special person, Stu, it will come back!" and with that, he disappeared from view.

The next morning, the bird came flying past again, and I chased it all the way to Caramel Falls. As it flew out of reach, a single deep blue feather fell from its wing. I snatched it in mid-air, and grinned.  
"Marriage proposal, eh?" I said. "Perfect."

That next Monday, I went to see Renee at Caramel Falls. When she saw me, she jabbed her fishing rod into the dirt and hugged me.  
"Stu! Hi!" she said.  
"Hi, Renee! Oh, I got you a gift." I reached into my backpack.  
"A gift? Really? You didn't have to get me a-"  
"Renee…" I said, holding out the blue feather. "Will you marry me?"  
"Yes, yes Stu, yes, I will!" Renee squealed, grabbing onto my neck. "When will we have the wedding?"  
"Next week?" I suggested.  
Renee thought about it for a moment.  
"Yes! What a grand idea! Let's go tell everybody!"  
And so we did.

A week later, I sat in the back room of the church with Bo, who worked at Dale's Carpentry. Bo had become a friend of mine as well.  
"I'm just so nervous, Bo!" I said as he helped attach the corsage to my tux. "What- what if she changes her mind?"  
"Calm yourself, Stu," Bo replied. "You're such a worry wart."  
"But what if she's only doing this for the flowers and the dress and all?"  
"Stu, look at me. Renee is not like that, and you know it."  
I looked down at my feet.  
"Stu, seriously, she brings you omelettes for a year, invites you out on dates, takes you to the FIREFLY FESTIVAL and KISSES you and says she LOVES you, but yet she isn't sincere about marrying you?"  
"For the record, Bo, I kissed HER. Don't act like I'm not man enough to kiss Renee. It's not like she's extremely intimidating like Selena."  
"Ugh, yeah, Selena, that slut. Luke is such a freak for liking her. Don't tell anybody I said that. I'll get fired or something and lose my room at Dale's place."  
"Okay, okay Bo, we're getting off-topic here, and I'm still freaking out."  
"Look, Stu, nowhere did I say you were not a man and nowhere did I say Renee is the one who kissed you. The point is, she didn't pull away."  
"She could have been faking it just for the-"  
"Shut up, Stu. All I'm trying to say is that she loves you and you love her. I mean, think about it! The BLUE BIRD flew over you. That bird is hard to attract."  
"I- I just have to go see her. I need to know NOW, before I go up there and make a fool of myself!"  
"Nooo nooo nooooo Stu, you're not allowed to see her until the wedding starts. You know that. And you also know you'll always make a fool of yourself by being you."  
"Wow, thanks, Bo, that's something a guy likes to hear on his wedding day!"  
"Sorry, Stu, but you're just going to have to be brave and trust that Renee is true to herself and loves you with all her heart. Now I have to get out there, but I'll be watching. Don't try to sneak out and escape through the side door."

Renee's dress was gorgeous.  
No, I did not sneak away. But I nearly fainted when she walked up the aisle. I may have been asleep for our wedding vows, because the only things I remember about the wedding are seeing her walk up the aisle looking like the Harvest Goddess's daughter, and her lips against mine.


	5. Chapter 5

That winter

"Stuuuuuu. Stu, wake up! Waaaaake uuuuup!" I woke up to Renee shaking me like I was a maraca.  
"Wh- what?"  
Renee had a concerned look on her face lying next to me in bed. She looked as if she was in pain.  
"P- please. C- can we just go to the clinic?"  
"Al- alright! Calm down!" Tears were streaming down Renee's face. She seemed very afraid. I scooped her up and ran out the door, calling my new horse, Misty. I set Renee down on Misty's back, hopped on, and we dashed into Waffle Town.  
The nurse, Irene, put Renee through a series of weird tests before walking away into a back room. I sat on a stool by Renee, who was lying in a bed, still weeping. When Irene returned, Renee covered her ears like she didn't want to hear what Irene had to say. But Irene just pulled her hands away.  
"There is no need to worry, dear. You're not ill. You should both celebrate, actually, because Renee is pregnant!" Irene said.  
Renee stopped crying at that moment and started squealing with joy.

On the way home, Renee immediately began fantasizing about our child.  
"I wonder if it'll be a girl or a boy… what do you think?"  
"I can't be sure. I hope it's a girl, though!" I didn't know why, but after speaking those words, I briefly saw a picture of a beautiful young girl with purple hair, running through the waves with a young boy, hand in hand. When I snapped out of my trance, Renee looked stunned.  
"Stu, are you okay? You kind of zoned out for a second there."  
"Uh, yeah, I- I'm fine."  
Renee fell asleep, leaning on my shoulder, as we rode back home.

* * *

The following summer

I began to get antsy as Renee's due date grew closer. Each morning, I would tell her to not get up and make me lunch as she usually did. She didn't like this, but eventually would fall asleep.

And then the day came where my man-skills were put to the test.  
"STU! STU, THE BABY! OH MY GOSH, STU, PLEASE!" Renee was screaming, trying to wake me up by shoving me off the bed. When I opened my eyes, I immediately knew why I was on the floor. And soon enough, we were off to the clinic, with Renee crying all over again.

"Go wait outside!" Irene shouted. "You're in my way!"

"Stu, name her! Name the baby!" Renee squealed.  
I tried to think of a name, while trying to avoid the video game naming screen which kept trying to sneak its way into my brain.  
"Emily," I decided.  
"Yeah… Emily… that's a good name!"

Emily grew up in the blink of an eye. Soon enough, she was standing up, talking; taking up her day to walk to the bridge and back again, almost in a zombie-like state. And one day, when Emily was about 12 or 13, I had a revelation. On that day, Mayor Hamilton stopped by for a visit.  
"Hello, Stu, hello, Renee."  
"Hello, Mayor." Renee replied.  
"I see Emily is growing up rather fast these days."  
"Why, yes, but she's still really young, of course."  
"Not too young for a Journey Bag!"  
That struck something funny inside me. I saw Hamilton standing, saying those exact words, only in a completely different house.  
"But, she's only 13." Renee said.  
I had another vision, this time of a woman, saying similar words.  
"Surely, Stu remembers how old he was when he arrived here?"  
Having another flashback, I didn't respond to his question at first.  
"…Stu?"  
"…Well, sir… I was 16, or so I've been told."  
"Just think about it."  
As I stared off into space, thinking about Emily, I had another vision.  
A purple-haired man was standing, staring off into space, just as I was. And then, a bomb went off inside my head. The purple-haired girl running through the waves. The purple-haired man, the woman, Hamilton speaking to them.  
"Stu? Stu, are you alright? You're zoning out again." I barely heard my wife's voice over the sound of my own heartbeat. I looked at Emily eating cookies in the kitchen, and I could almost taste them. I heard little clicking noises in my head, like footsteps on granite.  
"Stu, hello?"  
"…Papa?" I heard Emily say.  
Suddenly, I ran up the stairs and looked in the mirror. There, I saw the purple roots of my hair, the hair I'd been trying to hide for so long because I didn't understand it. I'd arrived here with a full head of brown hair, just like Emily's. She couldn't have possibly gotten all of that from her mother! I sobbed, letting my tears blur the confusing picture before me. For so long I had been dying my roots brown again, trying to avoid the insults that I felt had already pierced my soul, though I did not remember them. I kept staring at my reflection through blurred vision, screaming because I did not understand.  
The last thing I remember is Emily crying and Renee holding me tight, trying to calm me down. Then I slipped into unconsciousness.  
"The purple… she's going to hate me…"  
"Stu, Stu, open your eyes!"  
"I'm different…"  
"Stu!"  
"No, no! I'm not a loser! No, no frying pan! I DON'T WANT A PANCAKE!"  
"Stu, wake up!"  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"  
"STU! Stu, PLEASE!"  
"Giddy-up…"  
"STU!"  
I opened my eyes.  
"…Cheyenne?"  
"No, it's Renee, your wife… who's Cheyenne?"  
"I- I don't know!"  
"Stu, tell me what's wrong."  
"I keep having visions, and- and you won't like me because of the purple!"  
"Stu, what purple?"  
"My hair! Right here!" I pointed to the spot where my hair was purple.  
"Stu, I will always love you, whether your hair is brown, purple, or plaid, I don't care. Just calm down."  
"Renee… why is it purple?"  
"Stu, there is a man here. Calm down and let him talk to you."  
A man with long purple hair walked into the bedroom. I began hyperventilating.  
"Stu, chill!" the man said.  
"Who are you?" I breathed.  
"My name is Julius," the man said. "I've come from Castanet."  
"I- I don't- the purple- Journey Bag- Serendipity-"  
"Yes, Stu, yes! Serendipity! You remember?" Julius said.  
"I- I don't know!"  
"Julius, I think Stu is going to pass out again if he has to take in any more information. Perhaps you should come back later?" Renee said.  
"I'm sorry, Renee, I should leave. I'm just rather thrilled to hear Stu's voice." And with that, Julius left, and I fell asleep.

"Papa…"  
I woke up.  
"Hmm? Oh, Emily, what's wrong?" I whispered, looking over at my daughter, who was standing by the bed.  
"Papa, are you alright?" Emily began sobbing.  
"Emily, I'm fine! Don't worry! Remember, my amnesia? My memory is coming back."  
"Then why are you passing out all the time if something good is happening?"  
"Because I don't understand the memories yet." I handed Emily a tissue.  
"I helped Mother with the farm today." Emily said, changing the subject.  
"Oh yeah? You think you want to be a farmer some day?"  
Emily shrugged.  
"I don't know. I sure like helping out, though."  
"Good. I need to sleep now, Emily. I have to get up early to milk the cows in the morning, and you need to get some rest, too."  
"Okay. Good night, Papa!"  
Emily crawled back into her bed.


	6. Chapter 6

A few nights later, I worked up the strength to embark on my expedition to find out who I was. The best place to start, I felt, was the Sundae Inn. I was correct.  
Mayor Hamilton sat at a table, having a drink. He appeared highly intoxicated. I sat down beside him.  
"Oh, hi there, Perry," Hamilton said with a dazed look in his eyes.  
"Uh, I'm Stu, sir."  
"Whatever, Perry," Mayor replied. "Anyway, the key to my back door is in the refrigerator."  
"That's not what I came here for, Mayor."  
"Then what do ya want then, Perry?"  
"I'm interested to know what you think of that Julius guy who came here a few days ago."  
"Oh, that purple one? He's a bit flamboyant, isn't he?"  
"I suppose, sir."  
"Never liked that guy…"  
"Why is that?"  
"Perry, anybody home in there? The guy's purple! He's a loser!" he took a big sip of his drink.  
"What's wrong with purple hair?"  
"It's strange, Perry! Anyway, SOOOO glad I brainwashed his son on that boat."  
"Who's his son?"  
"That nutball of a farmer, Stu. Freak who came here from Castanet, all knocked out."  
"Whoa, you brainwashed him? Did you dye his hair, too?"  
"Of course, idiot! Hit him with a frying pan, he was all like 'Nooo, Mayor, don't!' and then I dyed his hair, told everyone that storm knocked the freak out."  
"Why did you do that?"  
"I hated the kid!"  
"So, didn't you want him to be miserable, being insulted all the time?"  
"You're all too nice here! Nobody'd set the kid straight!" Mayor took another big swig of his drink.  
"What if he finds out?"  
"I run off to some other island somewhere and start over; avoid all the lawsuits."  
"…this kid have any siblings, or animals?"  
Mayor didn't respond; his head hit the table, and I knew he was out for the night.  
I knew it was time to go see Julius, and let the memories flood back.

"Stu! You finally came to see your old man!"  
"So… you're my father?"  
"Sure am!"  
"Who's my mother?"  
Julius- er, Father- pulled a picture out of his pocket and handed it to me.  
"That's Mom!"  
"Yes!"  
"Shannon, right?"  
"Yes, Stu, yes!"  
"And, and that girl with hair like yours and mine, she's-"  
"Cheyenne?"  
"…I don't remember anything about her."  
"She- she had a boyfriend, named Roy! And they live on Toucan Island now, with a baby girl, her name is Olivia Claire!  
"I- I need to see her. I can't remember unless I see her."  
"Tomorrow, Stu. Tomorrow I will take you to Toucan Island. Who else is in that picture?"  
"That boy next to the girl… is that her boyfriend? Roy, you said?"  
"Mm hm. Is it all coming back?"  
"Not them. But the horse!"  
"The horse?"  
"Serendipity!"  
"He's not in the picture."  
"Yes, but, I remember him!"  
"What do you remember?"  
"Brown and black horse!"  
"What else?"  
"Falling down a hill to go meet him…"  
"Yes?"  
"And the house! OUR house! And the barn!"  
"Yes, Stu, you're remembering a whole day!"  
"The girl and the boy, running through the waves… Cheyenne and Roy?"  
"You're remembering!" Father was truly happy now.  
"Red-head… Dakota! Riding on Serendipity, and she wouldn't get off…"  
"You pulled her off, yes!"  
"Dakota… my best friend! I never thought I had a friend!"  
"Yes!"  
"What happened to Dakota after I left?"  
"She's married now, to a boy named Heath."  
"I remember Heath! He was nice."  
"Yes! Stu, you should go home. Tomorrow, I will take you to Toucan Island to see your sister, Roy, and Olivia."  
"Okay. Good-bye, Father!"  
And you have no idea how good the words felt.


	7. Chapter 7

At this point in time, I was aware that I had been to Toucan Island in the past. But, still having no recollection of the event, I was shocked to see the place. Father led me down the beach, to a small cottage on a hill above the shoreline.  
"Is that Cheyenne's house?" I asked.  
"Sure is," Father said, tears coming to his eyes. "Oh, no, my mascara is going to run now, isn't it?"  
I tried to ignore that comment.  
When we reached the white-washed front door, I knocked on it, slowly but surely. A woman came to the door, wiping her hands with a kitchen towel. She was awestruck.  
The purple-haired woman dropped the towel on the ground, not taking her eyes off of me.  
"Father- who?"  
"Look at the top of his head, Cheyenne."  
Tears came to Cheyenne's eyes.  
"…Stu? Stu, it IS you, it really is!" Cheyenne embraced me with- …with a Cheyenne-hug.  
"Cheyenne!" I breathed.  
"Stu, you've remembered!" Father squealed.  
"Cheyenne, where's Roy? And Olivia?" I questioned.  
"Roy, Roy, come here, quick! Stu's come back!" Cheyenne shouted into the house.  
A man with red hair came rushing to the door.  
"Stu!" he exclaimed.  
"Roy, it's you!"  
The sound of footsteps thundered out from the house. A young girl appeared next to Cheyenne and Roy.  
"…Uncle Stu!" she said.  
"Olivia!" I exclaimed, hugging the girl.  
I looked down at Olivia. It had been the longest time since I'd seen her. The last time I'd knowingly seen her, she was a newborn, sleeping against her mother's chest as I left Castanet.  
Yeah, that was it. I was remembering.  
Olivia had the most incredible hair I'd ever seen. Purple, like Father's, Cheyenne's, and mine, with streaks of the red hair of her dad.  
"Stu," Father interrupted. "You must come to Castanet."  
"Father, I will come. But don't take me around. I will find everything myself."  
"Alright then, Stu. But I'm following you around."

I was reluctant to set foot on the boat, but knowing Hamilton was now on his way to prison, I felt much better.  
When we arrived at Harmonica Town, I burst into tears. I could suddenly remember everything. I ran around the island, saying hi to everyone I knew. Dakota and my mother were sitting outside Ocarina Inn.  
"Looking for the mac and cheese?" I said as I approached.  
"STU!" Dakota tackled me with a hug.  
"Stu! Julius, oh Julius, you found him!" Mom breathed.  
I can't even begin to describe the next few moments. It was heaven. Mom's graying hair fell onto my shoulder as she wept on it.  
Suddenly, I set Mom into Father's arms, and looked towards the entrance to the old farm area. I began running.  
"Stu," Father called. "You're almost 30 years old! Stop running in the wake of your emotional outbursts!"  
I ignored him and kept running, feeling the crisp autumn air flow through my hair. When I reached the top of the hill, I wasted no time looking at the old house. I went running down the hill towards the pasture.  
"Here, boy!" I called. "I'm on my way!"  
I didn't slip on the grass, but if I did, I wouldn't have known it anyway. I was floating on air. A horse looked up from the pasture, and immediately I knew.

Serendipity.

I cannot even begin to tell you what was going on inside my head. All I can say is that the feeling of his shaggy old coat against my neck was more valuable than pure platinum. The scent of apples; the wind. It was all there. And it was perfect. Atop an old horse called Serendipity, I trotted off in the setting fall sun in sweet remembrance.


	8. Chapter 8

**EPILOUGE**

I truly did remember everything that day. What happened after that? That's a whole other story. Olivia became the new mayor of Waffle Island. Serendipity stayed on Castanet with my mother and father. They needed someone around.  
The cat, Luna? She had been set free on Toucan Island long before I returned. Maybe Emily will find her again someday.  
Emily?  
Emily decided to run Seaside Ranch. Maybe someday she'll leave us, Journey Bag in hand. But I hope that day is a long way away.  
The rest is all up for her to tell you.****

Fin.


End file.
